The Urban Forager: Bakery Edition

When Bklyn Larder owners Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg wanted to hire a pastry chef to launch a line of in-house sweets, they only had to look behind their own counter. Inga Sheaffer, sales clerk and home baker, had been bringing in treats to share with her co-workers, and according to Stephens, it was her buttermilk cake that sealed the deal—a moist, tender bundt, with a Lyle’s Golden Syrup glaze, appealingly homey but entirely satisfying ($3.25 a slice). Perfectly textured, crispy-chewy cookies followed (chocolate chip, ginger molasses, and oatmeal raisin; $2). The most recent addition, pistachio loaf cake, blends ground pistachios and almonds to dense, nutty effect and gets added crunch from a garnish of lemon-laced candied pistachios ($3.50). Up next: fresh crackers, focaccia, and Italian cheesecake made with Salvatore Bklyn ricotta (228 Flatbush Ave., nr. Bergen St., Park Slope; 718-783-1250) … In other pizzeria-offshoot news, Roberta’s, the Bushwick pizzeria–radio station–roof garden–beer garden–culinary cult has added one more hyphenate to its multiple personalities: wholesale bread baker. The burgeoning bread program was launched last year by baker Dick Bessey, who contributed his sourdough starter and guidance, and while a second, bread-designated oven is under construction, the loaves are baked late at night in the wood-fired pizza oven. They’re available at Roberta’s and utilized by Farmcart, the Bushwick sandwich-delivery service. But as of last month, the fresh, crusty boules and batards ($4 to $5) are also for sale at the Meat Hook, where they mesh perfectly with the locally sourced, handcrafted aesthetic (100 Frost St., nr. Leonard St., Williamsburg; 718-349-5033).